Map Seekers: The Brotherhood

Chapter 1

The Navy SEAL loaded his last magazine of ammunition into his weapon as he hid behind the protective cover of the shed. On the other side he knew there was at least ten well-trained and well-armed soldiers that wanted him dead. This was one assignment that had gone terribly wrong.

Thankfully there was always the reset button.

Hunter Harris pushed the button on the controller for his Xbox and reset the game to the beginning. He knew he could complete this level of "Special Ops" if he could just get past the sentries without their setting off the alarm. That was the key, but he had yet to accomplish that and his every attempt had ended in the demise of his virtual counterpart.

Hunter sat on the floor of his room, which was decorated in what could only be described as deconstructionism. Simply put, Hunter had deconstructed many of his possessions, exposing their electronic innards as they littered the floor and any flat surface.

Hunter was perpetually curious. He wanted to know why things were constructed the way they were and if it was possible to make the design more efficient. He was an avid tinkerer.

He was also a voracious collector. If there was a set of something that could possibly appreciate in value later, Hunter wanted to own it. If it was part of Hunter's two hobbies, movies and maps, then it was no longer a want... but a need.

Maps had become a passion early in his young life. His first map was a gift from his grandfather, Samuel Leverington, and his fondness for his grandfather incited his love for collecting and studying them even more.

It was inconceivable that one more thing could fit into Hunter's bedroom. The floor was a combination laundry basket and closet, while the actual closet was fulfilling the role of archive for all of Hunter's various collections including National Geographic maps, movie posters and his growing Blu-ray collection. To say Hunter's room was full was putting it mildly.

Hunter was playing his video game when his mother knocked at the door. While video games were an enjoyable pastime, certainly more enjoyable than the algebra homework he had to finish, it was a pale comparison to the adventures he dreamed of having in real life.

Hunter's parents always respected his privacy and in turn he respected their rules in the home.

"C'mon in!" Hunter shouted.

Hunter's mother, Sarah, entered and as she always did upon entering Hunter's room, gave a quick once-over of the mess and sighed heavily. Hunter looked up and could tell his mother's frustration by the look on her face. Nothing new there. It was the package in her hands that he was more interested in.

He paused his game and sat up.

"What's that?"

"Oh, just more stuff to add to your collection, I suppose," she answered flippantly. "It came from your grandfather today."

Hunter's parents always told him his wanderlust came from his grandfather, who, before becoming a missionary, was a horse-riding pastor to the towns in the Midwest during the Depression. Hunter loved his grandfather, especially because Samuel was a little eccentric. He was fun to have around—always telling stories of the countries he visited and the customs and traditions of the people. It was those stories that made Hunter wish he could travel and experience adventures of his own.

"Cool. Can I open it?"

"Of course. But I don't know where you're going to put it, considering..." Sarah looked around, then looked at her son's face. She knew that repeating herself again, for probably the thousandth time to clean his room, would have no effect, so she stopped. She handed the rough, brown paper-wrapped envelope to Hunter, and had to admit to herself she was as secretly curious about the contents as Hunter was.